Jury trial for Tyler Robinson scheduled to last 105 days in summer 2028

PROVO — Fourth District Judge Tony Graf set the jury trial for Tyler Robinson for the summer of 2028 in an order he read from the bench on Monday after reviewing requests and schedules from attorneys.

He said he has reserved 105 days for the trial, with jury selection starting on June 21, 2028, at 9:30 a.m. in the Provo Fourth District Courthouse.

Robinson, 23, was bound over to stand trial on seven charges, including aggravated murder, for allegedly shooting conservative political activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, during a Turning Point USA event on the campus. He faces a possible death sentence if convicted.

Graf said they will have monthly pretrial conferences, and by a hearing on April 11, 2028, they will determine if attorneys will be able to be ready for the trial and begin the process of identifying jurors.

He said the trial will run each day, excluding holidays, from 9:30 to 4:30 to give time for school drop offs and delays from snow or traffic. He said there will be a one hour lunch and two 15 minute breaks each day. He noted jurors are not commodities but "human beings to be considered."

Five of the scheduled days were set aside for legal arguments, and if the attorneys give notice that legal arguments are needed the jurors will not need to come those days.

The Kirk family released a statement via the X account of Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, about Monday's court decision.

"Today's decision to delay the trial of the man accused of murdering our beloved Charlie until at least June 2028, is deeply disappointing," the statement read. "While nothing will restore the time we have lost with Charlie, every additional day without justice prolongs our family's pain and forces us to wait even longer for accountability. As we continue down this difficult road, we remain deeply grateful for the love, prayers, and support that have sustained our family through these painful months."

The judge said the trial is scheduled to end on Oct. 21, 2028, but noted that if more time is needed the court will make more time. He said it would take a break after that October date and resume on Nov. 28, 2028. If the trial is still going there would be another break from Dec. 22, 2028 to Jan. 3, 2029.

"Given Mr. Robinson's current status, unnecessary delay remains a serious concern," Graf said.

This puts the trial at 33 months since the charges were filed, and Graf cited other death penalty trials that began between 21 and 43 months after charges were filed.

Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, is asking for a trial that is as soon as possible. Her attorney said after the order was read that he understands the judge is balancing interests but asked for it to not move unless a change is required by something "truly significant.

"A trial in summer 2028, three years after Charlie's assassination, does not feel very speedy to the Kirk family. ... The family has waited long enough already, they should not have to wait any longer for this," Jeffrey Neiman said.

The judge said he was issuing the order "to ensure that the constitutional rights of Mr. Robinson and Ms. Kirk are upheld at every junction. Each party is treated with the dignity and respect they are due, as they are human beings." Graf said that Erika Kirk would have a chance to speak before any decision is made to delay the trial.

Robinson's attorneys have argued that it is not yet time to schedule a trial, saying if dates are set, it should be in 2029. Prosecutors have argued that a trial should be set, and said they could be ready for a trial by early 2028.

The judge reviewed each request in making his decision. He said he found that there is support for more preparation time than beginning the trial in Jan. 2028 as prosecutors suggested. He also did not set the trial in 2029 as Robinson's attorneys suggested, saying there was no task identified that required it to be another year later.

"If missing evidence or expert work changes that assessment, counsel can identify the task, its effect on trial, and the time needed," Graf said.

He also denied the request to not set firm trial dates, but instead a goal saying setting it now allows him and attorneys to coordinate their calendars as further overlapping trials in other cases could cause delays in Robinson's case "without advancing its preparation."

Robinson's next hearing will be held on Jan. 14, 2027 where attorneys will discuss a motion prosecutors plan to file this week. In December, the judge asked both sides to submit an initial conflict and progress report in response to the order.

The hearing is available here:

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